Involuntary Neverland
by CaBu
Summary: With summer vacation just beginning, Dipper and Mabel find themselves returning a small dog to one of their neighbors, only to discover a haunted bed and breakfast in the process. OCs, DipperxOC, StanxOC.


I do not own any part of Gravity Falls, only the characters: Heather, Rye and Bug. Thank you.

* * *

_We ain't ever gonna grow up; we just wanna get down, show everybody who runs this town. No we'll never grow up and if we had our way, we would do this every day."-_ Cher Lloyd, Grow up.

Involuntary Neverland

Act One

"-ipper! Dipper!"

He flinched to the call of his name but refused to open his eyes. Ugh, how could he tell without opening his eyes that it was _way_ too early to get up, even if Mabel was begging at his bed side. It was summer! They were _supposed_ to sleep in, wasn't that the law of summer vacation? In retaliation to his twin sister's morning call, Dipper rolled to his side and yanked his thin sheets up over his head.

"Get up, Dipper!" Mabel spoke once again, this time her tone taking on a certain strain. What the heck?

"Ugh." He responded as he fought to keep his eyelids shut.

"Hmmmm," She hummed, no doubt her bottom lip poked out in frustration. "Come on, it's time to get up! It's like eleven!"

Eleven? AM? Gah, it was later than he thought. Perhaps staying up late to read that mysterious book had taken its toll on him. With a small exhale through his nostrils, Dipper released his tight grip on the thin, cheap bed sheets his uncle had supplied him with.

"Up, up!" Mabel's voice heightened and taking clear advantage of the fact that he had freed the sheets from his hands, she proceeded to rip the cloth of his body. "Wakey, wakey eggs and bakey!"

The younger twin released a small sigh before he opened his eyes. A moment of blurry vision passed as he adjusted to the light of the small attic bedroom. He uncurled his body from the fetal position he was laying in and turned to the left to see the taller female waiting with her usual smile. Braces shining in the midday sunlight, he couldn't help but return to the grin.

"Grunkle Stan wants us downstairs," She said, jerking her head back toward the staircase. "He said somethin' about work." She carried on, her smile refusing to move. "Then we get breakfast!"

Work _then_ breakfast? That was a bit backwards, wasn't it? Dipper forced himself to sit upright in bed before replying to his sister. "Breakfast…at eleven?"

"Oh, I get it." She nodded, her eyes shutting and arms crossing over her chest. "It's more like lunfast, right?"

His brow lifted. "You mean brunch?"

Her eyes snapped open, "Isn't that what I said?"

Breakfast, lunch or something in between, it was food in any event. Shrugging off anything his sister said, he pushed his legs over the side of his bed, his feet touching the cold floor. He took a moment to straighten his back out as much as possible then stretch his arms up over his head. A few cracks and pops followed as his muscles contracted then relaxed.

"Meet you downstairs!" Mabel chirped as she dashed toward the staircase.

Well, _someone_ was in a hyper mood this 'morning'. Ah well, it was nice enough that she would come up to check on him. Even if he had to work at the Mystery Shack for a few hours, at least the promise of a meal kept his muse going. Maybe if he worked hard enough Grunkle Stan would let him have his _own_ plate today.

Today could be the start of an awesome summer!

XoXoX

Dressed for the day ahead, Dipper stepped down the stairs with ease, the sounds of the Mystery Shack entering his ears. Tourists chatting, the sound of shuffling footsteps on a wooden floor, at least the store was busy today. There was nothing more boring than days when _no one_ showed up at the gift shop. As he descended the last step, he looked right then left. All look normal enough; Wendy at the cash register, Soos in the corner of the room fixing a broken plank of flooring, and of course his great uncle mingled amongst the costumers, no doubt trying to get a sale of _any_ kind.

"Dipper, over here!"

His chin lifted to the notable sound of Mabel's voice. Following his ears, he looked toward the center of the room, where his sister was standing. She stood with in front of a large display case, feather duster in hand. She proceeded to wave at him with her left hand while her right arm swung the duster back and forth.

He stepped toward the taller girl with a single brow lifted. "Yeah?"

"Look!" She released a squeal, her dusting arm dropping to her side. "Grunkle Stan said they just came in the morning!" Mabel directed her left index finger toward the large display. "Aren't they cute?"

Cute? Dipper tore his attention away from the gushing female and followed the direction of her hand to see that the large shelves held an array of bobble head trinkets. The small souvenirs appeared to be a near exact replica of their great uncle, minus of course the horrifying plastic stares they gave back to him. He grimaced for a moment before curling his lip, what the? Did they have to look so…creepy? Like they were staring into his _soul_.

"Oh!" Mabel's voice forced the younger sibling to look away from the demon knickknacks. "Watch!" With the feather duster now in her right hand, she moved toward the bobble heads and gave them a light tap.

All at once five or six of the plastic dolls began shimmy and shake. A small, near silent, sound of the bobble heads vibrated in his ear and made his lip curl even further. The feather duster came into his field of vision once again as Mabel shook the display once more, this time around with more force. All the trinkets on the shelf began to quiver almost out of control at once, the sound of plastic parts knocking against one another growing louder and the faces on the dolls becoming distorted.

"Ugh!" Dipper's arms shot up to chest level.

"Heh, heh, heh." Almost as if she were in a trance, Mabel continued to shake the duster at the row of souvenirs.

"Hey, watch the merchandise!"

Dipper allowed his arms to drop back to his sides as he glanced over his small shoulder. He watched as his great uncle approached them with a deep set frown engraved on his features. His cane hit the wooden floor with little mercy as he stomped closer. Was he mad? Maybe he failed to make a sale or something, he could never tell with his uncle.

"I just got those in this morning." The tapping sound of his cane came to a stop and Stan looked down to the twins with a glare. "They weren't cheap either so watch what you're doing."

"Don't you wish your head could jiggle like that?" Mabel's voice caused Dipper to turn his chin forward. He watched as his sister pressed her fingers against her rosy cheeks while her eyes sparkled with wonder.

"Don't get attached," A slick smile spread over the older man's face. "I don't expect these to last long. They'll sell like hotcakes!"

Okaaay. Whatever appeal the strange knickknacks had, they would sell. He'd seen even stranger and more useless things make a sale in the few days in staying with his uncle. Heck, people even gambled their money away with the one in the million chance they'd get it back when Grunkle Stan played the 'guess the number I'm thinking of' game. Did the promise of a good time during a vacation really make people that loose with their money?

Eh, whatever.

"Oooh, this one back here, I _like_ him!"

Dipper watched as his older sister stretched her right arm over the large selection of bobble head figures and with her feather duster still clutched between her fingers, she extended her index finger and proceeded to poke at the one doll in the back with misplaced pupils. She then drew her arm back over the collection of plastic replicas and as she came to the last row, the end of the duster clanked against the souvenir in the front, closest to her. The whole object swayed back and forth before it toppled forward, _off_ the counter.

The miniature figure tipped and made a direct line for the hardwood floor below. His body flew into action before his mind could process what was happening. Dipper jerked forward, arms extended and palms flat. The trinket fell into his hands without a sound and the moment he felt the smooth plastic against his skin, he clenched his hands shut. Safe and in his hands, he stood up straight and released a loud sigh of relief.

"Wow!" Mabel's jaw dropped. "Nice moves, Dipper!"

A few lighthearted chuckles crawled up his throat and left his lips, _that_ was close. He moved his arms outward and placed the object back on the shelf just as a small bead of sweat began to trickle down the side of his face.

Geez, what if that stupid bobble head broke into pieces on the floor? Agh, no doubt Grunkle Stan would have them work off what it was worth. If there was one thing he didn't want to do this summer, it was work. He didn't come all the way out to the middle of _nowhere _to be cooked up in the Mystery Shack on hot summer days! There was just too much about Gravity Falls that he hadn't explored yet!

A strange growling sound alerted both siblings. Dipper stood up straight and slowly glanced to the side. Ugh, Grunkle Stan was standing there, wasn't he? Gah, how could he forget? They were going to get it now; he could _feel_ it…and hear it. The smaller boy allowed his head to duck between his shoulders before he shifted his body around to face his elder.

Stan stood there with his arms crossed tightly over his broad chest, his cane caught between his right elbow and body. His eyebrows had darted over his eyes and his cheek twitched in a manner Dipper had only seen on rare occasions. That did _not_ look good.

So much for brunch.

XoXoX

The front door slammed shut with enough vigor to send the two twins forward a several inches. The vibration from the closing door shook the wooden structure to its core, only fueling Dipper to cringe even further. The smaller twin released a small sigh through his nostrils as he stepped to the end of the porch and took a seat. Great, now what were they supposed to do?

The creaking sound of footsteps against old wood echoed in his eardrum, his sister was inching closer to him by the sounds of it. Just as he predicted, Mabel jumped off the first step of the porch and allowed her backside to hit the step. Her hands slapped to her round cheeks and she released a loud and tired sigh through her lips. Was she disappointed?

A small rumble ripped through the silent air and acting on instinct, Dipper slapped his hands to his stomach. Ugh, hunger pains. He pouted his bottom lip before releasing the grip on his torso. On the _one_ morning he was hungry, they had to ruin their chances at a hot meal. But Grunkle Stan wouldn't let them go _that_ long without eating…right? He couldn't just _forget_ about that kind thing! No, he couldn't…

"Eh," Mabel grunted, catching his attention. "Sorry Dipper," She turned to look at him with a wide set of eyes. "I messed everything up."

Did she have to look at him with those puppy dog eyes? Ugh, he couldn't stay mad at her when she looked at him with such innocent guilt. "Nah," He waved his hand at the taller girl. "Don't worry about it; we'll get something to eat soon."

"You think so?" Her brows arched to the top of her forehead.

"I know so." He flashed her a smile.

Mabel parted her lips as if to respond to him when a loud howl echoed through the woods. Dipper felt his blood run cold for a moment while the hair on his arms stood up straight, what the heck? He jerked his attention away from his sister and looked outward in front of the Mystery Shack but saw nothing. A howl during the _day_? What kind of wolf howled during the morning hours? But it _had_ to be a wolf, it sounded like something he'd hear out of some nature special. And if there where there was one wolf, there was a pack.

"Ooooh," Mabel slapped her hands to her cheeks. "Maybe it's a werewolf!"

Wonderful, why did he not doubt that? With all the craziness that went on in Gravity Falls, it wasn't completely unlikely. But if it _were_ a werewolf, it was not going to be the kind of hunky monster Mabel found in her stories. No, nothing strange they ever discovered was ever what it seemed.

He had to look at his book, now.

Dipper stood on his feet and turned to his sister, who still seemed amazed at the sound, when a second round of howling broke his concentration. This time the animal sounded _closer_, too close. His body stiffened in anticipation while his eyes stayed glued to the entrance of the forest a few feet away. Why couldn't he move? He could actually be _scared_, could he?

Finally able to speak aloud, he whispered to his sis, "Mabel, get back inside."

She took a moment before responding in any fashion. She slowly stood up from her seat on the step and straightened her back out as quietly as possible. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that his older sister also had her eyes stuck to the view before them. So she knew it was close as well?

Before either twin could act, the sound of rustling bushes made the two freeze. Oh man, was it _that_ close all ready? Dipper leaned forward and gripped his hands until he formed fists. He took a few nervous steps to his left and stood in front of Mabel. If some crazed werewolf was going to attack them, the least he could do was distract it long enough for Mabel to get to safety! He braced himself for impact as the sound of footsteps became louder. He bit his lower lip as the last few shrubs parted way and out of the darkness the beast revealed itself.

Seeing nothing above two feet, Dipper's eyes were drawn to the floor. Standing on the ground on all fours was a small puff of golden fur. It looked almost like a fox, only with about three times more fur, enough hair to make the small animal look like a dandelion. It's beautiful yellow mane covered all of its neck, leaving only a small space for its nose and eyes. Two round black eyes stared back at him and his sister, almost as if it were confused.

Was it lost or something?

"What is it?" He asked, lifting his brow.

A high-pitched shriek from behind him caused the young male to wince. His hands darted up to his ears and he squinted his eyes as his sister shot passed him, making a beeline for the animal in front of them. About a foot away from the beast, Mabel fell to her knees and skidded on the ground, coming to a halt right in front of the animal. Without any kind of hesitation her arms opened up and within the blink of an eye, she scooped the small creature into her arms.

"M-Mabel!" Dipper's jaw dropped. "Let it go, you don't know what that thing is!"

"Awww!" She cooed and pressed her left cheek against the muzzle of the beast. "He's so cuuuuuute!"

All of his muscles relaxed and he hunched over before releasing a sigh. He watched as the animal took to his sister's affection with little emotion. Instead of attacking or biting, it opened his jowls and let it's tongue to hang out of the right side of its mouth. It was panting, like a dog? So this thing was a dog?

Well, if it wasn't biting or growling it wasn't dangerous was it? Not every animal Mabel showed her 'love' towards took it as easily as this thing seemed to do. If it was a dog, then it had to have an owner, by the looks of it's well-combed fur, someone _had_ to be taking care of it. Besides, what kind of well-trained dog didn't bite a person when she shoved her face into it's muzzle?

Feeling a bit more relieved, Dipper hopped off the porch and took a few steps toward his sister and the dog. As he approached the golden puff, it looked up at him with a set of wide eyes. It tilted it's head to one side, tongue still hanging out of it's mouth. Looking closer at the dog, he noticed it's tail. Short and curled up to where it was resting on the animal's back, it began to wag in the slightest manner. Dogs did that when they were happy, right? That was a good sign.

"Do you think he has an owner?" Dipper asked as Mabel continued to bury her face in the dog's mane.

"If he doesn't then we can take him!" Her muffled voice caused the younger sibling to roll his eyes.

Sure, Grunkle Stan would just _love_ that idea. "I'm pretty sure he has an owner, Mabel." He sighed before bending down on his right knee, getting to eye level with the beast.

He extended his right arm out to the dog and pressed his fingers into it's furry chest. He felt around the dog's mane for a moment or two, searching for a collar or tag of any sort but found nothing. Hm, what was that about? Weren't dogs supposed to have tags? Great, now they didn't even have a name to call it by.

"He's the fluffiest marshmallow ever!" Mabel pulled her face away from the canine and removed her hands from its neck. She moved her hands to the dog's muzzle and proceeded to puff up it's jowls. "I'mma name you something special!"

"Mabel," He spoke in a firm, stern voice. "He has an owner, let's just leave him alone and he'll find his way back home."

His sister turned around to face him with one of her epic frowns. Her bottom lip poked out while her eyebrows flipped upside down. Dipper flinched before standing back up on his feet. No, he couldn't look at his sister when she was staring back at him like that.

"But he was howling!" She protested, "That's dog speak for 'I'm lost, help me find my way home!'" She then gripped at the dog's furry mane, pulling it into her chest.

Hm, it _was_ howling. But did that mean it was lost? His eyes moved away from his sister then back down to the dog. It's tongue was still hanging out of its mouth, even as it was compressed against his sister. Not every animal would take to his sister _that_ easily, after all, it wasn't growling or even curling a lip. And if it _was_ lost, then any number of people could claim it as their own and take it. After all, weren't small dogs like this popular or something?

Just before he could speak, Mabel released the dog from her grasp and pulled away. She jumped to her feet and scurried behind the animal. Once again she dropped to her knees and extended her arms out toward the dog. She used her right hand to grab at the dog's right paw and lifted it off the dirt. She then began to flap the dog's 'hand' at him and in a deep tone 'spoke' for it.

"Come on Dipper, I need to get home," She moved her left hand to the dog chin and began to 'nod' for it. "You can help me, right?"

He sighed before shaking his head in shame. Ugh, how could she be so innocent? It wasn't like he could refuse her when she was being silly. The last thing he wanted to do was break her heart over a dog.

"Fine." He finally cracked a smile. "Let's tell Grunkle Stan and start making flyers."

Mabel dropped her hands from the dog's paw and chin and moved them to the animal's jowls. She then took her index fingers and placed them on the edges of the it's lips. She forced a smile on the fluffy dog and spoke for it once again.

"Thank you, Dipper! Allow me to clean your face with my tongue!"

Dipper's arms shot outward in defense. "No, no thank you…" His brow lifted and cheek twitched, "Mr. Dog?"

"You can call me Fluffy Buns!" She announced with pride.

"Okay…" Dipper's eyes shifted back and forth, "Mr. Fluffy Buns…"

"No need to be so formal," Mabel continued with her 'dog' voice. "We're friends now!"

He felt a laugh tickle at his lungs. Ah, at least he wouldn't have to feel guilty about this one, the only obstacle in his way was telling his great uncle about the dog. Ugh, no doubt he would refuse them without so much of a second glance at them _or_ the dog. The strange animal was cute, Dipper knew that, but would Grunkle Stan think so. The older man wasn't exactly caring, especially if it was going to cost him anything. Hm, time would tell.

Time would definitely tell.

Act End.


End file.
